Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the food supply chain has been stretched working to meet extraordinary demand. Fewer people dining at restaurants or ordering takeout means more home cooking, more grocery shopping and more food flying off store shelves.
Food producers and common carriers like BNSF Railway are working together to meet the need for more food at our stores. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the main obstacle to putting products on grocery shelves is elevated demand on the supply chain, making BNSF’s role critical.
An example of BNSF and our customers adapting to this increased need is the logistical adjustment made with customer Ardent Mills, the largest American flour miller. As soon as COVID-19 emerged, BNSF and Ardent Mills immediately coordinated to adapt to the additional service required for the miller.
BNSF has also made operational adjustments in regions known for meat production, including Kansas, West Texas and Colorado. More home cooking initially increased production for meat packers as demand spiked. BNSF adjusted resources accordingly to get larger numbers of packaged meat to store shelves faster.
Learn more about supply chain adjustments being made here.
